impulse

Plural: impulses

Noun

• an instinctive motive
  • "profound religious impulses"
• a sudden desire
  • "he bought it on an impulse"
• the electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber
  • "they demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus"
• (electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)
• the act of applying force suddenly
  • "the impulse knocked him over"
• an impelling force or strength
• A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels.
• A wish or urge, particularly a sudden one prompting action.
• The integral of force over time.

Verb

Verb Forms: impulsed, impulsing, impulses

• To give impetus or a strong urge to; to drive forward.
• To impel; to incite.

Examples

• His desire to win would often impulse him to take risky, high-scoring words.
• The impulse to learn drove me to study night and day.
• The total impulse from the impact will depend on the kinetic energy of the projectile.
• When I saw the new book, I couldn't resist the impulse to browse through it.

Synonyms

caprice, impetus, impulsion, momentum, nerve impulse, nervous impulse, neural impulse, pulsation, pulse, pulsing, urge, whim

Related Words

impel, impulsion, impulsive, impulsively, impulsiveness, impulsivity, impulsor, pulse

Anagrams of impulse